Third Prophecy
by DeBrabant
Summary: After saving Gabrielle from a wolf-attack, Joxer goes through some rather unique changes to become something entirely new. But what will this mean for him? For his relationship with Gabrielle? And will he be able deal with his new self while the God of


Third Prophecy  
By Danii  
Summary: After saving Gabrielle from a wolf-attack, Joxer begins to act a little strange. So, since they are on their way there anyway, Xena and Gabrielle stop by to ask Jett about it, and they find out something that could change everything they've ever known about the wannabe-warrior...  
Disclaimer: I own no one. Don't sue. I get no profit from this, just odd stares and headaches.  
Distribution: You want this? Really? Not kidding? Wow...well, then just tell me where you put it and put my name on it.  
Rating: PG13  
Ships: G/J  
Spoilers: Up to "Lyre,Lyre" since a certain brother is involved...  
Note: Hi! This is my first fic in the Xena/Herc universe, so be kind. If I make a mistake (and I'm sure I will since I have no where near the familiarity I should since I'm just now REALLY getting into it) please correct me, if you feel the need. You see, my good little muse's best friend, Xander Harris, with whom I am in love, has asked me to write something for one of his good buddies, Joxer (they met at a sidekick convention in NY I think...). So, he introduced us, and since I really like Joxer, I said okay. So, this came out.  
Feedback: Sure. Be gentle.  
  
And now:  
  
  
  
"Joxer, I swear...if you don't stop that clanging, I will cause you some serious pain..." Gabrielle said through clenched teeth, her knuckles white where she held her staff.  
  
"What?" the would-be warrior replied, looking down to the offending bit of armor which kept flapping at his side, " Look, I can't get it fixed until we get to Marimus, so I'll try to walk quietly, but that's the best I can do. I mean, I need this stuff! It protects me from all the people trying to kill me..."  
  
"Which will probably increase by one if you don't do as she asks," Xena, Warrior Princess whispered down to Joxer from her seat on the horse, her voice only slightly amused.  
  
"Fine..." the tall man replied, his face scrunching up in frustration, "I'll take it off and stuff it in my pack. Just see what happens if we're attacked. I'll have to put it all back on before I can help rescue you..."  
  
"That's just a risk we'll have to take, Joxer..." answered the leather-clad warrior from atop her steed, the smallest of smiles gracing her face.  
  
He just stared up at her with an annoyed expression, then looked to Gabrielle, who was glaring daggers at him by that time. Then he gave up, and began to take the strangely shaped metal off of his body. As he did, he tripped on one of the loose straps, which sent him sprawling. Neither of them made a move towards him, but he was back up a second later, with his armor in his hand and a triumphant grin on his face. He didn't even give them a chance to say a word.  
  
"I'll just put this in my pack now, if you don't mind..." he said rather loudly, while the blond bard and the warrior princess sighed. Joxer made short work of it (for once), and then they were off again on their way to Marimus.  
  
Joxer, who was trailing behind, kept looking at Gabrielle, who was walking a little ways ahead of Xena. He kept on looking for a while, until Xena glanced back at him and gestured with her head that he should walk up with her. Joxer gave her a goofy grin as a thank you, then made his way up.  
  
"So," Joxer started, walking a little faster to keep up with Gabrielle, "Write anything good recently?"  
  
She turned at looked at him, still annoyed yet getting over it, "Not really. Though on some nights, I have this incredible inspiration and I let the stories run through my mind, but I never really write them down."  
  
"Yeah..." he replied neutrally, "But I bet they'd be really great."  
  
"I don't know," the bard/Amazon replied, fingering her staff as she sort of forgot who she was talking to, "I mean, they sound great in my head, and then when I try to write them, I don't know where to start."  
  
"Well..." Joxer said slowly, thinking as he spoke, "Maybe you could have it start in a conversation...like, just start."  
  
Her eyes opened wide in shock, "But what about where they are? What is going on at the time? The exposition!"  
  
"You mean that bit at the beginning of every play where they talk about all the stuff that happened before the story?" he asked. She nodded.   
  
"Boring!"  
  
"Boring?" Gabrielle asked in a slightly amused tone, "Joxer, that's how ever play starts. If the storyteller doesn't say what happened before-"  
  
"But what if you just start, and then let the characters tell you what happened?" the sort-of warrior asked, "I mean, if it's so important to the story, why wouldn't they talk about it?"  
  
"I don't know...it sounds-"  
  
A large gray wolf that suddenly leapt towards Joxer and herself interrupted the blonde woman. Gabrielle, who was directly in front of the wolf, closed her eyes and waited. There was no time to do anything; she couldn't move her staff fast enough, and Xena was behind them a ways back on the horse. So she just braced herself for the impact and raised her arm to hopefully keep the things teeth away from her neck.  
  
But the only pain she felt was on her bottom as she landed on it. As soon as she realized that there were no teeth in her, the bard opened her eyes and looked up to where she saw something amazing.  
  
Joxer, his face pouring sweat from the pain he was obviously in, talking quietly to the wolf that held his arm in a bloody grip. Not screaming, not hitting; he was just whispering to it. She couldn't hear exactly what the wannabe warrior was saying, but obviously, something was getting through because the wolf was responding with small growls and ear movements. Xena looked as if she was going to get involved, but a hand from Gabrielle held her back. For once, it looked as if Joxer had the situation under control. Finally, as she and Xena watched, the gigantic gray wolf released Joxer from the hold it had on his arm, leaving a large bloody hole in the flesh of his forearm.   
  
It was then that Gabrielle and the dark-haired warrior princess moved, each doing what they needed to. The bard took Joxer, who was looking rather woozy, and laid him down next to a tree trunk so that his body was propped up. Now that she saw it up close, it didn't look good.   
  
The front of his forearm was almost entirely ripped up, and blood was flowing freely from the large wound. Joxer himself looked paler than usual, which scared Gabrielle badly. But instead of getting upset, she quickly tore a piece of her skirt off and used it to wrap Joxer's arm wound. It would help, but they would have to get to the city soon to get some real healing done on the injury. She knew it would scar, but she was sure that Joxer wouldn't mind. He'd probably be proud of it, so she didn't worry about that. As soon as she had him all wrapped up, the Amazon turned to see her friend staring at the large gray wolf.  
  
It was just sitting there, not doing a thing, as if it were a faithful dog instead of a killer beast. Xena had been trying to scare if away for the last couple of minutes, but nothing seemed to move the creature, or even slightly shock it. So Gabrielle gave it a try.  
  
"Scram!" She yelled angrily, thinking of their injured friend and the countless others the beast had to have hurt, "Get out of here, or by Hades I will see you dead!"  
  
The beast stayed, though, but it looked confused at her words, as if she was speaking another language to it.  
  
"Go away!" Xena bellowed, helping, "You can understand me, I know you can. I saw Joxer talking to you! So go!"  
  
And yet the things stayed.  
  
"Fine" replied the warrior princess, pulling out her sword as she stared angrily at the wolf, "Then I'll just-"  
  
"No..." came a croaking voice from the other side of the road. All eyes, human and non, turned to where Joxer, looking pale and weak, was sitting against a log, "Don't...kill it. It...it...."  
  
"It what, Joxer?" Gabrielle asked, the concern in her voice more helpful to his health than any bandage, "All we saw is that it's mad, and needs to either be killed or chased away from humans..."  
  
"No..." the warrior replied, his voice weak yet firm, "You'd be...killing more than...a wolf."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Go" Joxer said, switching his attention from his two friends to the wolf, "Leave or they will-"  
  
Gabrielle rushed over as Joxer's strength gave out, while Xena remained by the wolf. The warrior princess looked down at the beast and into it's eyes, and she saw something very odd there. She saw intelligence. Then the wolf seemed to nod and left. Xena watched it go, and then joined her two friends.   
  
"Well, we'd better get to Marimus..." she said as she reached the others, "We can get him to a healer and maybe find a few answers. Not to mention, stop by and see good old Jett..."  
  
"Jett?"  
  
Xena smiled at her friend, "If anyone would know what happened, it would be Joxer's twin. Twins, I've found, no matter how different, have a sort of connection between them. Jett will know what happened, and he'll probably be able to explain it before Joxer can..."  
  
##  
  
A lone figure sat in a cell, his black clothing almost camouflage in the dark prison. He had been asleep moments before since there was very little else to do in the jail, but since he'd awoken, he knew that there was no way that he could go back to bed anytime soon. It had happened.  
  
Dark brown eyes filled with an unidentifiable emotion continued to flick around the cell as the man's fingers twitched. Yet every other part of him was still. He didn't know what to do.  
  
"Hey...hey!" One of the other inmates yelled from their cell down the hall three units, "What's eatin' you?"  
  
"News..." came a raspy voice from the figure's mouth, "Don't know if it's good or bad. Could be both."  
  
"Huh..." the other inmate sighed, "I didn't see anyone come in today with news. What's the news about?"  
  
"My brother."  
  
"Oh." the prisoner down hall replied, "What? Is he coming here to do another show? I mean, I really liked the last one..."  
  
"No, Makinus..." the raspy voice said tiredly, his fingers still twitching oddly, "The other one..."  
  
"You mean, him?" Makinus asked, skeptical of anything concerning HIM.  
  
"Yes...him..." the figure answered, the rising anger in his tone warning his fellow convict not to insult HIM, "As I said. Could be bad. Could be good. I just hope it works out so he's happy...and maybe so he comes in here and breaks out me and Dad..."  
  
"Whatever, Jett..." the inmate replied with a small chuckle, "I'm sure nothing will happen..."  
  
"Well then you're a lot luckier than I am..."  
  
##  
  
In a small town by the name of Nikus just a few miles from Marimus, another figure bounded up from his large, pillow-covered bed, his hair just brushing the peacock feathers that adorned his resting place. Pushing aside his large bedcover, the man stood and dressed, then walked over to the large mirror in the room. He sat before it.  
  
"Oh dear..." he said to himself, "Theez iz not goud. I em going to haf to get to Marimuz soon, or der will be truble..."  
  
"I juz 'ope dat Cena an Gabrielle can 'elp him wit thiz till I get dere..."  
  
He looked in the mirror again, and paused for a moment.  
  
"But Jett will..."  
  
"Yez, Jett will 'elp 'im. I juz 'ope he 'elps 'im to be good..."  
  
There was another pause as the man named Jace stared at his reflection in the mirror, imagining that it was not he, but his brother, the assassin. Then he thought of his other brother, the one who was going to need him very soon if he was right. The one who had always been forgotten by everyone but his mother. The one whose time had come, not to die, but to live.  
  
"Oh, Joxzer, I 'ope dat dis turns out de way you wanted it to..."  
  
##  
  
"Boy, he's heavier than he looks..." Gabrielle observed as she pulled his unconscious form off of Argo, "I mean, even without his armor..."  
  
"Well, you know they say that muscle weighs more than fat..." Xena replied with an odd smile. When she saw her friend's bizarre look, she continued, "And running is a great way to develop muscle..."  
  
The comment brought a grin to the bard's face, and made her feel a little better, though they were both still worried. During the rest of the ride to the city, Joxer hadn't woken up, and they had had to change his bandages twice before arriving at the healer's shop. In the setting sun, his face looked better, but as they carried him beneath the overhang of the door, Xena could see just how pale the young warrior truly was and it worried her. It worried them both.  
  
Neither of them would ever admit it to him, but Joxer meant a lot to them. Sure, he was rather useless in a battle, but that wasn't what was important. If anything ever happened to him...the bard and the warrior didn't even want to think of it. They didn't want to think of a campfire without his familiar form cooking dinner for all of them. They didn't want to imagine what it would be like to walk the road knowing that they'd never see him tagging along at the most inopportune time. To Xena and Gabrielle, it was not a possibility. So they walked as quickly as they could into the healer's shop, and carefully put him down.   
  
The healer, a young woman with bright green eyes and dark hair, walked out a minute later, her wispy aqua dress flowing behind her as she rushed to the pallet. She looked at Joxer, then up to the two women who had brought him there.  
  
"What happened to him?" she asked, her lightly accented voice all business except for a small note of caring.  
  
"Wolf attack." Gabrielle answered quickly, pointing to the bandaged arm, "He was bit here, and I wrapped it as well as I could before we transported him here..."  
  
"Mmmm."  
  
"Is he going to be okay?" the bard asked, surprised at he anxiety in her own tone, "I mean, will you be able to-"  
  
"Your friend should be fine, my dear..." the healer replied, pulling the bandaging off of the wound while one of her silent attendants handed her swabs dipped in substances unknown to either woman, "Though I don't believe he will wake up before tomorrow evening, at the very least. It is good that you brought him here."  
  
"So, he'll be fine?" Xena asked, her voice betraying her own concern.  
  
The healer smiled at the two of them. "Yes, your friend will be fine."  
  
There was a pause, and then the healer asked, "But I must know...the wolf, was it rabid?"  
  
"No."  
  
The eyebrow of the green-eyed woman rose as she filed that away. "Was it a large gray wolf which seemed far smarter than it should have been?"  
  
Xena's eyes widened. "Yes, it...our friend, I think he actually talked to it."  
  
"Indeed..." the healer replied, again raising her eyebrow oddly.  
  
"What does that-"  
  
"I suggest that the two of you leave him to my care..." the woman interrupted, pointing to the door, "See the sights of the city, go to the market. Your presence will only cause you to worry..."  
  
"That's fine." Xena answered before Gabrielle could argue otherwise, "We have some business here anyway which we need to take care of, and now would be perfect."  
  
There was a pause, and then Xena asked her friend, "Could you wait outside for a moment?"  
  
The blonde was upset and curious, but she knew that she could trust her companion and nodded, then proceeded to leave the shop. As soon as the bard was out of earshot, the healer said, "Thank you. I did not wish for her to hear this..."  
  
"What, exactly?"  
  
The healer breathed in deep, then continued, "When your friend awakes, there is a chance that he will be different. Very different. I am unsure of this, but it is best to be prepared should my suspicions and my assessment of his condition be right. I merely wish to warn you of this..."  
  
The warrior bobbed her head at the healer, then answered, "Thank you."  
  
Then the healer nodded a goodbye, and then turned back to her patient. Xena made her way outside, only to be grabbed by Gabrielle and gruffly pulled aside.  
  
"Why did you just leave him there?" the blonde asked fiercely, "Who knows what could happen to him! He could die in there, or-"  
  
"Or he could be cured..." Xena finished calmly, looking her friend in the eye, "You're very concerned about him, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes, of course I am!" The feisty bard replied. Then she realized just how emotional she was getting and calmed herself. "And he did get hurt saving me from that wolf..."  
  
Xena nodded, and let Gabrielle think what she wanted. The little blonde would figure it out eventually, the warrior princess decided. Hopefully before they met in the Elysian Fields...  
  
"Anyway," the bard said, shifting the conversation well, "you said we had business. I assume that means that we'll be going to see Jett now?"  
  
The dark-haired fighter nodded, then without a word began the walk towards the prison. Gabrielle followed, but not before glancing once more through the window of the healer's shop. Out of the blonde's sight, Xena smiled.  
  
##  
  
"Hey, Assassin! You have a couple of visitors!"  
  
Jett lifted his head from his hands where they had been resting for the last hour or so, and looked up with cold eyes towards the bard and the warrior princess.  
  
"Hello..." he said in his cold, raspy voice.  
  
It still amazed Gabrielle that such a frightening person could be in a package that looked exactly like Joxer. It shocked her every time she saw her friend's brother. Hands that truly were lethal weapons that looked so much like hands that had cooked her dinner. Eyes that she'd seen staring at her with caring mirrored here by eyes filled with arrogance and bloodlust. A voice so frigid and cruel that came out of a mouth that she was used to seeing set in a goofy grin. And yet, she could see the connection between them.  
  
"Listen, Jett." Xena said, "Something strange happened on our way to Marimus."  
  
"Me? I'm fine. And you?" Jett answered icily, ignoring what the warrior had said.  
  
"Look," Xena continued, putting her face up to the bars, her expression fierce, "On the way here, we were attacked by a large gray wolf, and Joxer saved Gabrielle here from it. But he got bit, badly."  
  
"So why would you want to see me about it?" The assassin asked, his voice tired and worried, despite his attempts to hide it.  
  
"Because he spoke to it!" Xena hissed, pulling her head away from the cell, "All the while it held his arm, he didn't scream, or hit it. He just spoke to it. And then when I tried to kill the beast, he wouldn't let me. Told me that I'd be killing 'more than a wolf'...then he told the wolf to leave, and it did. Now, I want you to tell me what happened?"  
  
"Yeah!" Gabrielle put in.  
  
Joxer's brother gave a withering glance up to the blonde, and then looked at Xena. "He didn't let you kill the wolf because it wasn't really a wolf. It was our Grandpa..."  
  
"Your...Grandpa..." the bard said slowly, obviously trying to digest the information.  
  
"Yes," Jett replied, his tone filled with aggravation, "Our Grandpa."  
  
When the two women gave him blank looks, he rolled his eyes and grunted, "Have you ever heard the story of King Lycaon of Arcadia?"  
  
"Of course we have!" Gabrielle answered, her tone indicating that he had practically asked her if she knew what color the sky was, "He had the Gods over for lunch, tried to serve them Roast Prince, and then, as punishment, Zeus turned him into a wo-"  
  
A smile made its way to the assassin's mouth as the pieces obviously clicked into place for the blonde and the warrior. But they were still confused.  
  
"Are you saying that the wolf that attacked us was King Lycaon?" Xena inquired, her eyes filled with genuine curiosity.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And you and Joxer are his grandchildren?"  
  
"Indeed..." Jett said, glad that they were finally getting it "After Lycaon was...disposed, our father, the Warlord Xandius, took the princess of Arcadia, Lycaon's daughter, as his wife."  
  
The two women nodded, obviously still trying to absorb what the man in the prison cell was telling them. But to Xena, one thing didn't fit.  
  
"But why would Lycaon attack his own family?"  
  
Jett seemed to think this over for a minute, and then he asked, "Was Jox wearing his armor at the time?"  
  
"No..." The bard replied, "that's how the thing" Jett growled, "-I mean, your Grandfather was able to bite his arm...not that his useless armor would have done much to stop it."  
  
Jett stood up, his eyes fiery and filled with despair, and jumped over to the bars. "His armor" the assassin told her, poking her in the forehead with every word, "would have stopped the entire thing from happening!"  
  
"How?" Xena asked, not stopping Jett from his activity with Gabrielle. If her stupid complaint had caused Joxer to be hurt, then she could deal with a little bit of annoyance.  
  
"You see..." Jett explained, obviously getting sick of it at this point, "Gramps wasn't there when we were born, and we couldn't find him for years, so he doesn't know our scent well enough to stay away. So each of us carry a piece of our mother's clothing on us in one way or another, so that Grandpa doesn't accidentally attack us. Jox's piece happens to be in his armor."  
  
"Oh..." the bard replied, "Oh dear! This is all my fault!"  
  
Jett snickered, "By Hades, you're ri-"  
  
"No, it's not, Gabrielle..." Xena told her distraught friend while delivering a bit of a glare at Jett. The warrior princess wondered why he was so agitated. While she was aware that he was a bloodthirsty butcher, he had still been rather civil to the bard and herself the last time. It was odd to see him so angry. But she had to take care of her friend for a bit.  
  
"No, Gabrielle..." she soothed, "It wasn't you're fault. You couldn't have known any of this, and that armor was annoying me as well. So don't blame yourself, okay?"  
  
"Okay..." the blonde answered, nodding to her friend.  
  
Then Xena turned to Jett. "Well, your brother should be all right. We left him with a healer-"  
  
"You left him alone?" The assassin asked in shock and...was that fear? "You left him by himself?"  
  
"With a healer..." Xena explained calmly, unsure of what was bothering the man so badly.  
  
Jett shook his head, as if to clear it, and then asked, "Did she tie him up? Restrain him in any way?"  
  
"No..." Gabrielle replied, sounding rather nonplussed, "Why would she? He was injured..."  
  
"...of course not, they don't wake up till the next day," the assassin muttered to himself as Xena and Gabrielle watched in confusion, "and she couldn't know about Joxer being...and if the prophecy..."  
  
"Jett!" The warrior princess cried, breaking him out of the twister of thoughts that were running through his head, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I thought you said you knew about the story!" He shouted, sounding more upset then they had ever seen him. In fact, it looked as if he was panicking, especially since he couldn't get out and do something about whatever it was.  
  
"Yes, but why would Joxer need to be tied down?"  
  
"Because it's the day after the full moon, you half-brained twits!" Jett exclaimed, pounding on the bars, "Don't you know the rhyme?"  
  
"What..." Gabrielle started, but then she stopped. Obviously remembering what he was talking about, she asked, "You mean, that's true?"  
  
"YES!" he said, his voice softer and more controlled. He knew from experience that getting upset served no purpose and would hurt more than help when in a difficult situation. Jett pulled out one of his nicer memories (ax murder in Athens) then breathed in, and recited, "When the moon is full as the wolf king's pride, its the wisest for all to remain inside. Should you be bit on the night or the day, a beast you'll become the very same way...' Meaning that, on the day and the night of the full moon, he can put the same curse on anyone he bites..."  
  
The blue eyes of the warrior princess went wide, and she dove towards the bars, "You mean Joxer will become a wolf?"  
  
"No." Jett replied, bringing relief to the two women, "The Gods, as a way to repay his family for having to live with him, said that none of Lycaon's kin would ever become a wolf."  
  
"Then he'll be fine..." Gabrielle said with a sigh.  
  
"No."  
  
The two outside the bars were confused, but before they could ask, Jett continued.  
  
"He'll become something different than a wolf, and different than a man. And I don't have even the slightest clue of what that could mean. It all has to do with this prophecy, you see..."  
  
"Prophecy?" Gabrielle asked, utterly confused and extremely worried. She didn't want her...friend Joxer to be turned into some horrible monster.  
  
Jett sighed again, and then sat down. Pacing had gotten him nowhere.  
  
"Look, I'd much rather you let me tell you this on the way there, but since you probably won't let me out until you hear this, I had better tell you now.  
  
"You see, in Arcadia, when a mother is about to give birth to her children, she must have a seer, or prophet, there to give a prophecy about what the child's future holds. So our father, seeing the logic in this, got Mother one. And as we came out of her, he pronounced a prophecy for each one of us. Me, Jace, and then Joxer."  
  
"Jace?" Xena asked, "You have another brother?"  
  
"Yeah..." Jett nodded, obviously not proud to admit it, "But we don't mention him since he's..." The assassin made an odd wiggling movement with his hand.  
  
"Fat?" Gabrielle guessed.  
  
Jett rolled his eyes again. "ANYWAY, we each got a prophecy, and mine and Jace's were pretty straightforward for the most part."  
  
"What was yours?" Xena asked, curious as to how accurate this prophecy thing was.  
  
"'He must be paid for him to kill, but a beauty will make him pay his bill...'" Jett told them, "'Paid for him to kill' means Assassin. And if you didn't guess, I'm kinda paying the bill by sitting here in prison for trying to kill Cleopatra, a 'beauty'."  
  
"And Jace?" Xena inquired.  
  
"'He shall be happy all the day; Music, his gift. To sing, dance and play.'"  
  
Gabrielle was concentrating, obviously trying to figure out what that one meant, muttering, "Happy all day...oh. Oh. I get it."  
  
Jett rolled his eyes again. "Now, can you get me out of here so we can go check my brother?"  
  
But before Xena could reply, an oddly accented voice spoke out from behind them, followed by the soft clapping of dance shoes on the prison floor.  
  
"What an egcellent idea, Jett. Dat was what I was planingk to do..."  
  
"Jace!"   
  
The two women turned around to see Jace, and what a sight it was. Decked out in a costume of greens and browns, the dancer still managed to put his flair into the cut of the outfit, letting everyone know exactly who he was. There was no way that they could ever mistake him for Jett or Joxer.  
  
"Happy..." Gabrielle repeated, staring at the entertainer with an odd expression on her face.  
  
"Well, I like to tink so, but I em not so 'appy at dis moment..." Jace said politely as an answer to the bard. Then he turned to Jett, "You felt it too, no?"  
  
"Jace, I'd have to be dead not to have!" The assassin replied, "Now can you get me out of here so we can help Jox! These two have no idea what's going on, and they don't seem to want to help me..."  
  
His brother nodded, and then stepped forward, past the warrior and the blonde. "Excus mi, madams..." he said, turning on the charm despite the situation and the location.  
  
Xena and Gabrielle moved aside, wondering how in Tartarus the entertainer was going to open the jail cell. Until they saw the lock picks.  
  
"How do you-"  
  
"You learn many tings in de businez. Ezpecially when you can't find de key to your costume trunk, and de show iz to be starting in three minutes..." he replied to the obvious question while he worked on the door, "Now, pleaz let me work...iz importante..."  
  
The dark-haired fighter and her blonde companion were too confused to get in his way, and the lock was opened in only a few moments. Jett stepped out quickly, his nervous energy easily seen by his quick steps and in his eyes.  
  
"Thanks." Was all the assassin said to his brother, "Now, let's get to Jox before something bad happens..."  
  
This was when Xena got in the way. "Whoa, boys. Much as I appreciate you helping our friend and your brother, we'd like to know what exactly is going on here..."  
  
"We can tell you as we run." Jett answered quickly, "There is no time to lose since you two annoyances wouldn't let me out earlier." Then Jett tried to step past her. She stopped him.  
  
The warrior princess looked into the eyes of the world's greatest paid killer and tried to figure him out. She needed to know that they were really going to help Joxer, and not just let Jett go free. Luckily, what she found there was exactly what she needed to find, and her observations were confirmed a moment later.  
  
"Look, I don't care if you return me here after we help him, but let me go now!" The assassin hissed, his eyes staring at the doorway behind them, "I give my word that if you want, I'll return to the prison, okay?"  
  
"He will keep 'is word..." Jace added, stepping beside his brother, "Dis family DOES haf standards, you know..."  
  
Xena smiled, then moved out of the way so that the two brothers could make their way down the steps. Still confused, but feeling better about finally doing something, the warrior and the bard followed. They caught up to the Jace and Jett easily, and, as they walked, Gabrielle asked, "So what was the prediction for Joxer?"  
  
"We weren't really able to figure it out till now..." Jace said, taking the lead due to his dancer's speed and grace, "Iz very 'ard to figure out..."  
  
"So how do you know it has to do with this at all?" Xena asked, walking quickly beside Jace.  
  
"We do." Jett answered shortly, lagging behind. All the confinement had left him a little out of shape. "When the predictions come true, we can feel it. And we both felt it..."  
  
"Yez."  
  
"So, what is his prophecy?" Gabrielle asked, curiosity and worry eating at her. She was rather surprised at just how upset this had her, but the bard figured that it must have been that fact that she felt guilty about it that had her worked up.  
  
"I can't explain this one, cause the whole things hasn't happened yet, so I'll just tell you..." Jett said, "'He shall save a maiden fair, She who fights with long golden hair. A beast he'll be come like no other before will, To help or to hurt, for good or for ill. The Choice shall be his, though tempted by War, to hurt or to help the rest of his world.' It went on for a little bit more, but I already told you that bit. And I know the verse is horrible, but I'm translating from an ancient tongue, and finding words that rhyme for the translation is a bother..."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Jett..." Gabrielle said quickly, "As much as I'd like to comment on the butchering of poetry, there are more important things going on...."  
  
"Yeah." Xena agreed, pointing to the healer's shop, which was only a block away, "So let's get to them..."  
  
The four of them made their way to the shop to find a rather disturbing site. The front of the shop was in complete ruins, and it smelt of burnt grass instead of the sweet incense from before. Out in the front, the healer was organizing her helpers in the cleanup. She turned when the group made it to them.  
  
"Oh, gods!" she cried, her green eyes bright with barely-held tears as she took in the two men, "How-"  
  
"They're his brothers, miss..." Xena explained to her, "Now, what happened here? Is our friend-"  
  
"Your friend is the one who did this!" the healer said quietly, "I am...I will not charge you for this, for I should have known to restrain him. But he was only there for an hour, and they usually sleep until the next day. And even then, they are..."  
  
"Wolves?" Gabrielle supplied.  
  
"Yes" the healer replied, "But he was something else. When he woke up, we tried to talk to him, but he kept on telling us to stop yelling at him. He was polite, but scared and in pain, so we tried to humor him. Then he told us that he was sick to his stomach from all the smells. He asked why a latrine would be near a healer's shop, and he didn't believe me when I told him that it was nearly four blocks away from here. Then we tried to restrain him, and..."  
  
"And he did whatever he needed to in order to get away..." Jett finished, his eyes on the remains of the shop, "I'm not surprised, and more than a little proud. Maybe now the little doofus really IS the master of mayhem..."  
  
Jace, Xena, and Gabrielle all turned to him with shocked expressions on their faces, to which he replied, "Look, I love him, but I also know him. Let's be honest..."  
  
The others had to agree, and the focus went back to the healer. "When did 'e leaf?" Jace asked her politely.  
  
"About ten minutes ago..." the healer answered, "And as I said, don't worry about this. It was not your fault. I should have known. Please don't be afraid to come again to my shop when you are in need..."  
  
Xena gave a respectful head nod. "Thank you. And I'd love to help you clean up. But for now, we have to find him. We have no idea what he could do, or what could happen to him..."   
  
##  
  
Joxer was scared. He was scared and confused, and in a great deal of pain.   
  
His head was pounding from all of the noise of the city, and he was perplexed as to why it was affecting him so badly. He'd been in big cities before. Tartarus, he'd been in this one before, but for some reason, this time it was far too loud. There were just too many noises, and all of them were deafening to his suddenly sensitive ears. He couldn't make sense of any of them individually, which left him feeling like he was going to go insane.  
  
And his body. What was up with his body? Joxer had noticed as he ran from street to street that he hadn't tripped once, nor lost his footing at any point. And he'd gone so fast! At least, it had seemed fast. He wasn't sure of very much at that point. For the first time ever, his body seemed to be obeying what he said instead of it's normal routine of simply tripping at the more complex demands.  
  
Then there was his nose. There were so many smells, all of them interesting, even the ones he would have thought before to have been disgusting. For some reason, Joxer didn't even mind the smell of the latrine, though he wondered as to the intelligence of putting it right near the healer's shop. At least, it smelled near to the healer's shop, despite what the young lady had told him while he was there. Which brought him to another point of confusion. The healer's shop.  
  
Why had he been there? What had happened? Had he been hit on the head? And if so, wouldn't his armor have deflected the blow? And why had they shouted at him while he was there? Even Joxer knew you weren't supposed to yell at the injured, and they had, even when he'd asked them to stop. And then he'd tried to leave and...gods, he couldn't remember what happened after that.  
  
Then there was the pain. The pain in his muscles. The pain in his mouth. The pain on his arm, despite the lack of wound there. It felt almost as if he was being shocked repeatedly by Zeus in a pissy fit, and he didn't even want to move. That's why he kept his head down even though he could smell an extremely odd presence standing right in front of him. Joxer sat there for a moment, and waited for something to happen. And it did. Obviously, the mystery figure didn't feel like waiting, so it thrust a hand down to him, pulling his chin up to met eyes with him. Joxer was amazed at the sight.  
  
"Ares?"  
  
"Hello, Joxer..." the god said, his voice soft, gentle, and somehow understandable in the chaotic city, "You don't look very well..."  
  
"Everything hurts right now, Ares. Come back later if you want to annoy me..." The would-be warrior replied through his teeth, still trying not to scream in agony. The God of War had never been on Joxer's side, and so he was determined not to show Ares how much pain he was in. Joxer might not have been a great warrior, but he did have a little pride.  
  
The god nodded with understanding, then asked him, "Would you like me to take away some of the pain?"  
  
It hurt so badly, but Joxer, despite what people might think, was not stupid. If Ares was going to help him in any way, he wanted to know what the god expected in return.  
  
"Why?" was the question the hurt man asked, unable to say anything longer due to the pain in his mouth. The aching and the feeling of having his gums stuck with pins did not lend themselves to long conversation.  
  
"Because I want to help you." Ares said simply, his normally stormy expression blank except for a touch of concern, "It is not only the right thing to do, but it is in my best interests to help such a great warrior as you..."  
  
Joxer let out a wheezing laugh. Him, a great warrior? As much as he pretended otherwise, he was quite aware of the fact that had almost no coordination whatsoever, and as such was probably the most pathetic fighter in all of Greece. For a second, he thought that Ares might have mistook him for his brother, but then remembered that the god had called him by name. So what was he talking about?  
  
"Don't laugh..." Ares told him, "You might be in pain now, but as soon as you finish your...change, you will be truly unique, with the speed and strength required to become what you've always wanted...a warrior. My warrior, if you agree."  
  
"Why...would I want...to become one of...your warriors?" Joxer asked slowly, breaking the sentence up so that it didn't hurt as bad, "All you ever...do...is hurt...my friends...and me."  
  
"Your friends?" The god asked with an amused expression on his face, "The same friends that constantly abuse you? Who don't respect you at all? Who left you in that healer's shop all alone for that witch of a healer to yell at you?"  
  
"They...respect me." Joxer argued, the pain getting worse and worse each time he spoke. But he had to say something. He couldn't let Ares state things like that.  
  
"Oh, yeah..." the War god replied, the sarcasm practically dripping in his tone, "They respect your 'warrior's heart'...but tell me, if it came down to a battle, a serious one, would they depend on you to carry a sword, or would they tell you to run like a scared child?"  
  
"They would-"  
  
"Tell you to run." Ares finished, speaking slowly to emphasize his point, "They don't even trust you to guard your own life, let alone theirs."  
  
Joxer tried to put his head down, since he couldn't really deny what the other was saying, but Ares again lifted him by the chin.  
  
"I can give you the training to become a great warrior. As great as Xena. Just what your father wanted. What he dreamed of when he heard the seer's words the day you were born. You could be that. You could finally make him proud..."  
  
And Joxer was speechless. He didn't know what to do. That thrice-damned prophecy was his greatest hope and his worst fear, and while he'd been waiting all his life for it to come true, he didn't have any idea what he was going to do now, what the whole thing meant, or what was happening. Should he take up the War god's offer, take the training (if what Ares was saying about him was true) and then try to wing it from there? Or should he go back to his friends? And were they even his friends? Or just people who put up with him more than anyone else? Then he thought of Gabby, and his thoughts turned to mush. What about how she felt? Would she like what had happened to him? Or would she hate him even more? He was again confused and in pain, and this time the pain wasn't just in his body. It went right down to his very soul.  
  
Ares obviously saw the agony the young man was in, and decided that Joxer really couldn't make a decision at the moment. He didn't want to risk it. Pain did odd things to some people.  
  
"Look, I'll make some of the pain go away for now, and I'll ask you later, when your head is clear, okay Joxer? I can't get rid of all of it, but at least you'll be able to function..."  
  
And he could. Most of the pain was gone. There was still the feeling of having pins stuck into his mouth, but most of the aching was gone. All that he had left was a horrible headache and some minor muscle pains. It was the Elysian Fields compared to what he'd been going through a minute ago.   
  
Joxer looked up to thank Ares (probably for the first time in his life), but the War god was nowhere to be seen. So Joxer got up from his seat on the firewood that he'd been on for the last ten minutes and began to walk towards the market place. It was the most likely place to find Xena and Gabrielle, and get some answers, not to mention replace his mysteriously torn up shirt.  
  
His head now clear, he began to notice things about himself. He wasn't tripping. Before it had been the suspicions of a pained, confused mind, but now he had to admit to himself that it was true. He hadn't even stumbled. And he seemed to be moving much faster than normal well. It was truly odd.  
  
And the smells were amazing. There were so many of them, each of which was unique and interesting in their own way. Each person in the crowded marketplace had a distinctive scent, each of which he found pleasant despite the people's attempts to cover their smells by using startling amounts of perfume. He thought it was a waste. While this had upset him before, he had to admit that he liked it. It seemed to add a whole new dimension to the world around him.  
  
But it was still deafeningly loud, so as he walked, he attempted to tune out all of the background noise. Not only was he amazed at the fact that it worked, but he hadn't even fallen while trying to do two things at once. Truly amazing for him. He wondered why he'd been in the healer's shop since he was in such a good state. Now, all he could hear was what he wanted to, and that would the distant cry of the cloth vendor.   
  
Joxer made his way to the stall to face a squat man who was sitting next to a great deal of shirts in all colors. There were many rolls of fabric, but Joxer ignored those as he began to go through the shirts. But the second he touched one of the shirts, the shopkeeper began to complain.  
  
"Please, don't-"  
  
But the vendor stopped for some reason as Joxer turned to face him. Then Joxer heard the odd growling noise that was, surprisingly, coming from deep in his throat. He stopped it immediately, not wanting to scare anyone, least of all a perfectly fine merchant, and began to apologize.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry if I scared you, but I-"  
  
"Don't worry..." the vendor replied, his eyes wide as they looked into his, "You...uh, didn't scare me. Just startled me, yeah. Now, I was wondering if you'd like to get one of these fine shirts. 5 Dinars each..."  
  
"5 Dinars!" Joxer replied, his voice more growl than speech, even though he wasn't trying for that. In fact, the odd animalistic tone scared him. But he wasn't going to let the vendor know that...especially if the man was going to make him pay those prices.  
  
"2 Dinars..." the squat man amended, staring at Joxer warily, "And my I suggest the yellow one, since it brings out the color of your eyes..."  
  
"My eyes?" Joxer asked in confusion, "My eyes are brown."  
  
"I'm sorry, sir..." the merchant answered, "But you are mistaken. They are amber." Then the vendor looked again, "Or at least they were a moment ago..."  
  
Joxer snorted, "Well, they're brown now, and I'd like to get the ivory shirt and the red one, if that's all right..."  
  
"Yes sir..." the vendor said, handing him the shirts he had asked for, "That will be 4 Dinars..."  
  
Joxer handed the man 5 Dinars, and told him that he was sorry he had scared him. The vendor seemed appreciative of the extra money, but obviously didn't want the would-be warrior to return to his shop any time soon. So Joxer, after changing into the ivory shirt that he found a little tight, made his way to the next shop.   
  
It was his favorite stop whenever he happened to be in a city. Though he usually went to the music shop first, it wasn't his favorite. That was only his second favorite. His favorite was the weapons shop. Joxer loved to look around at all the various pieces of metal, all the while imagining himself using them to defend the innocent from horrible, oppressive warlords.  
  
"Like I don't see one every Father's Day..." he muttered to himself as he went in, "And they only thing I defend from him is parts of my dinner...not that I can ever keep my carrots..."  
  
The room sparkled with the edges of many different kinds of destructive tools, and Joxer wished that he could use even one of them with some proficiency. But for now, he was only looking.  
  
The owner watched him look at the weapons, then saw him stop as he examined one of them more carefully. They were iron knuckles, but unlike others, these had three blades each attached to the knuckles. In the faint light that shone through the windows of the shop, Joxer stared at them intently. Inside his head, a voice was howling at him.  
  
* Claws! Claws for this form! We need claws, for all we have are fangs...One can't defend oneself without strong claws! *  
  
Joxer tried to ignore the voice, but it wouldn't leave him alone, so he finally turned around and asked the merchant, "How much?"  
  
"20 Dinars..." the owner replied, "They're unique..."  
  
Now, what Joxer wanted to say was 'sorry, sir. I can't pay that. Will you accept 15?' but what came out of his mouth was something else. Something that was only partially him.  
  
"Well, I'm unique myself. One of a kind, at least so far...so I think that you can cut me a deal, eh?"  
  
Joxer could feel himself smoothly move towards the counter where the merchant sat, even if he was absolutely sure that he hadn't given that order. His body wasn't obeying again, but this time in a scary way.  
  
"How about 17 Dinars?" the owner of the shop replied, "That's the lowest I can go..."  
  
"No..." Joxer's out-of-control mouth answered as he sauntered towards the other man while wearing a rather cruel smile, "I think you can go lower..."  
  
"Now, look here, sir!" The merchant began angrily, "You don't know how many warriors have come in here and tried to swindle me by- hey, what happened to your eyes, mister?"  
  
Joxer didn't have the slightest clue what the man was talking about. All he knew was that he was getting closer and closer to the man, and that whatever force was working with him didn't intend to do anything nice to the honest merchant. He could hear a growling, and the pins in his mouth began to ache again.  
  
"Now, sir..." the merchant began, but Joxer cut him off.  
  
"15 Dinars."  
  
There are some things you risk you life on. There are some things you defend. One pair of weapons was not one of those things to the vendor. "Yes sir."  
  
And the nervous salesman promptly handed them over to him. Joxer paid him.  
  
"Thank you..." he heard himself say politely, the growl, and the pain, entirely gone.  
  
"No problem sir. Please, come again..."  
  
"Maybe..." he heard himself reply as he slipped on the weapons. They felt so good on his hands, as if they were supposed to be there. As if they were a part of him. And the howling voice, which no longer seemed to be controlling him, definitely was satisfied with them.  
  
"Thank you again, sir..." he said, his genuine appreciation in his tone now. That, and the extreme guilt over how he had acted.  
  
"Just go now." The merchant asked, "And don't return. That's all I ask..."  
  
"All...right." Joxer answered, both delighted and frightened at the thing within him. The truth was, Joxer didn't like to hurt good people. He found no joy in bullying. He had no problem with the idea of pummeling evil (though he never seemed to be able to pull it off), but hurting good, everyday folks had never appealed to him as it had to his brother. So he felt rather bad about scaring two people that day. But now, he thought, maybe I can help good people now instead of bumbling my way through battles like I normally do. All I'll need is some training from-  
  
Were those his brothers he'd just smelled? Jett? Out of prison? And Jace? And was that-  
  
"Xena!"  
  
Then came a chorus reply of "JOXER!"  
  
"Gabby!" he shouted over the chaos of the insane market as he pushed his newly bought weapons into his purse just before he rushed through the crowds to meet them, "Oh Gabrielle!"  
  
Then he grabbed the blonde bard and took her into his arms and held her tightly as he took in her scent. It was so wonderful, like lilies and oranges, sweet but with a tartness to it that he absolutely loved. Then there was the scent of leather and warm cotton, mixed in with a faint woody smell that she had obviously gotten from carrying around a staff for so long. Her presence, her wonderful body against his own, the smell of her, made the beast within him into a puppy. A happy little puppy that just wants to be loved and cared for.  
  
"Joxer!" she shouted, half-relief and half-anger as she pushed him off of her, "Where did you- What did-Why-How- Nice shirt, Joxer..."  
  
The wannabe warrior was completely stumped as to what she was asking about, so he responded only to her last comment. "Thanks, Gabby..."  
  
She rolled her eyes and gave him her patented 'don't call me that' look that he knew and loved, but before she could continue, a figure in black leather bounded forward to capture Joxer in a hug similar to the one he'd put Gabrielle in.  
  
"Hey, brother!" Jett said with a genuine smile, "How's things? Destroy anything interesting lately?"  
  
"Don't really know, Jett..." Joxer replied, hugging his brother back, "But what are you doing out of prison?"  
  
"Oh, this and that...looking out for my brother, who is turning out to be some kind of half-wolf..." the assassin answered with a surprisingly warm smile and a wave, "And guess who else is here?"  
  
"Hermanito!" Came an accented cry from behind Xena, and a second later, Jace was apart of the brothers' hug, "Iz so nice to see you againe!"  
  
Xena and Gabrielle watched the little reunion of the three brothers (which involved many whispers and not a few chuckles) for a moment, and then the warrior princess interrupted them.  
  
"Joxer, why did you run away from the healer's shop like that?"  
  
The brother in question poked his head up from the little pow-wow he'd been having with the other two, a confused expression on his face.  
  
"Well, I don't exactly remember running away. I just remember them yelling at me, and then I got sick from the smells in the room, and then...I don't know. I don't even know why I was in there in the beginning. I kinda just woke up in the back of an alley, sitting on some logs in a lot of pain."  
  
"Joxer, do you remember being bit earlier today?" Xena asked, her eyes searching his face for any falsehoods.  
  
"No, I don't..." he answered with a shake of the head, "But from what Jett said, and since my brothers are here, I'm guessing it has to do with Grandfather and that prophecy." Which I don't really want to think about right now because of Ares, he finished mentally, but I won't say anything about that. No sense in getting them more upset. Then his mind howled in joy. They were worried about me?  
  
"Yes, Jox," Jett told him, unintentionally answering both the vocalized words and the ones that had been running about in his head, "Grandpa bit you when you weren't wearing your armor, and now you're...you're something completely new. Something between a man and a wolf."  
  
"Oh." he said, though he didn't really sound all that surprised or impressed, "That would explain more than it doesn't, including my shirt..."  
  
"What do you mean, Joxer?" Xena asked curiously.  
  
"Well, ever since I ran away from the healer's, I've been nearly deafened by the noise. Then I could smell everything. That's actually how I found you. And I haven't tripped since then either."  
  
"Now, the first two I understand..." Gabrielle replied, "you now have the senses of the animal, but that last part doesn't really make sense."  
  
He was very close to rolling his eyes, but since it was his beloved bard, he didn't dare. "Ever see a wolf trip?"  
  
"No." the blonde answered. Then she nodded that it made sense. "Animal grace."  
  
"Yeah..." Joxer said with an embarrassed flush, "I need to be partially wolf just to walk right..."  
  
"Well, maybe now I ken teach you to danz!" Jace exclaimed with a smile, "Wiv two of uz, de danz show will be spectaculari!"  
  
"Uh," Joxer stammered, showing them all that despite the changes, it was still the same big-hearted young man in there as before, "I don't think so, Jace. Don't like the stage. And I'd really miss Gabby. But I'd be happy to take some lessons..."  
  
The flamboyantly dressed brother grinned back, and then playfully tweaked Joxer's nose without hurting him, "I know. And I will be 'appy to teach boat you and Gabrielle to danz..."  
  
"Thanks, bro..." the half-wolf replied, patting his brother on the back, "And now that you're all relaxed, I have a little bit of news."  
  
"What is it, Joxer?" Xena asked.  
  
"You see, while I was sitting on those logs, I kinda got a visitor..."  
  
"Who was?" Gabrielle prodded.  
  
"Ares..." Joxer told them cautiously, almost as if he was going to be hit for telling them that. Gods, he felt exactly like a naughty puppy when Gabby looked at him like that.  
  
"Ares?" Xena asked with venom in her voice, though Joxer knew it was for the god and not for him, "What did he want?"  
  
"He said that he wanted to help me with the pain..." he explained, "Said it was in his best interests to look out for me."  
  
"I wonder why..." Gabrielle said with suspicion in her tone. Ares wasn't just nice for no reason. She began to ponder just why the War god would be helping out Joxer when she happened to get a better look at him.  
  
His stance, while usually rather clumsy, was solid. That was odd; she figured it had to do with that animal grace he'd pointed out earlier. And, now that she noticed it, his shoulders seemed a bit more developed as well. Broader and more developed. The kind of shoulders a girl could...think was odd, she completed mentally. And his hair was thicker; thick enough to run fingers through... Now, what was she thinking? Her gaze, trying to avoid the lower areas of his form, then flicked to Joxer's eyes, and she noticed golden flecks in the dark brown that she'd never seen before. Then she looked at his mouth, and there she found a surprise.  
  
"Joxer, you have fangs!" she cried in surprise, forgetting the god almost completely as she put her hand to his mouth to pry it open, "Let me see!"  
  
Much to Joxer's dismay, everyone else wanted to see too, so his lips were quickly and roughly pried apart so that the group could see his fangs. Since his mouth was still aching slightly, it took every ounce of self-control Joxer had not to either growl at all of them, or bite one of the hands within his mouth as they all moved his teeth painfully.  
  
"They're almost as large as a Baccahe's..." Xena said with wonder in her tone as she looked into her friend's mouth. Just to test, she flicked it with her finger, which produced a low growl from Joxer.  
  
"Wouldn't do that again..." Jett suggested with a small grin.  
  
"Aw, Jett," Joxer said, pulling his head out of the grasp of the others, "I would never hurt Xena. Or Gabrielle. Or you and Jace. At least not on purpose. I'm not responsible for what happens if I trip and fall on you, though..."  
  
This made Jace laugh, and his accented chuckles made even Xena smile, "I doubt verimuch dat you will be fallink on enybody enymore...you are changink, Joxer..."  
  
"Not where it matters..." the wannabe warrior replied with a goofy grin, hoping that Gabrielle would think the same and not think of him as a horrible monster, "I mean, I'm still the same fool you all know, and hopefully love. I'm just...a little bit different on the outside."  
  
"Not just a little bit..." came a familiar, unwanted voice from beside the little group. It was, as expected, Ares. Xena and Gabrielle immediately went on the defensive, but Joxer stepped in front of them all, his body mainly covering his beloved Gabrielle.  
  
"What do you want, Ares?" Xena asked as she pushed by Joxer, her tone icy and filled with anger. While the warrior princess was touched at the would-be warrior's actions, she was worried about him, and Xena knew that any intervention from Ares was going to be more trouble than good for him. The warrior princess wondered if Joxer knew that.  
  
She was answered a minute later by a loud, angry growling noise from behind her. Xena smiled. Her smile widened as she saw Jace and Jett get into fighting stances.  
  
"Well..." the War god said with a sigh, "I was coming around to see if good ole' Joxer was interested in having me train him as my warrior. But, from the reception I seem to be getting, I don't think my offer is welcome anymore. At least by his silly human self..."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Gabrielle asked fiercely, moving from behind the over-protective half-wolf, "He's human...mostly."  
  
"Oh yes..." the god said with a devious smile, "'mostly'. But he's also 'partially' an animal."  
  
"Yeah, and?" Jett said angrily, his raspy voice closer to a hiss, "He also happens to be our brother!"  
  
"Who" Ares said with a wide grin, as if delivering a master stroke, "was dedicated to me by your father three days after his birth. So, technically, he is mine. My unique creature to do with as I wish..."  
  
"He's not a creature, Ares." Xena told the god, her voice filled with hatred, "he's a good, loyal, kind-hearted young man who I'd trust with my life."  
  
Joxer felt like howling with joy as he heard the warrior princess' words, but the joy was dampened by the situation. There was too much danger. Too much danger to his brothers, to his friend, to his love. To him. All over him. Dear Gods, help me.  
  
"Well, Xena" Ares said, matching his raven-haired former protégé for venom, "Let's see how 'good' and 'kind-hearted' he is when I turn off his human feelings...and then your life WILL be in his...paws..."  
  
The warrior princess' eyes widened as she realized what Ares meant, but she was unable to do anything about it because Ares, with a laugh, disappeared. But she knew that it was a very very bad thing when she heard the deep growling from behind her...   
  
But was that a yip at the end of it? Completely confused, and more than a little worried, Xena turned around, expecting to find...well, certainly not what she found.  
  
There, on the ground, yipping like a little pup as he wriggled underneath Gabrielle's sweeping hands, was Joxer. His eyes were a strange dark amber, and his fangs looked a little longer, but there wasn't an ounce of menace in him. In fact, his smiling face seemed flushed with nothing but joy as his beloved rubbed his tummy playfully, the normally collected blonde laughing freely at his absolutely adorable antics.  
  
The warrior princess smiled gratefully, then gave a glance upward to thank whoever happened to be listening that it was Joxer who'd been changed, and not any other of them. Then she just watched as Jace, Jett, and Gabrielle really got into the play, despite how odd it looked to those who didn't know what was going on. And Joxer was enjoying every minute of it, though he especially appreciated the giggles and caresses from the blonde bard.  
  
Gabrielle, sitting on the floor, didn't know exactly what was happening to her. When Ares had done what he'd done, she'd at first been scared, but for some reason, she had just known that Joxer wouldn't hurt her. So she'd pet him. And then he'd looked at her with these cute little puppy-dog eyes that had just made the bard want to hug him. So she had, which had resulted in him dropping to the floor belly up.   
  
So, as she'd done with her childhood pet, Draz, Gabrielle had begun to rub his stomach, much to Joxer's joy. Then, with a grin, she'd sped it up, and he'd practically glowed with happiness. And that had made her happy, for reasons she could never explain. It made her happy for him to be happy. And then she got the explanation as she looked into his eyes.  
  
They weren't the eyes she was used to. They weren't that deep brown that she knew, the dark color one could lose herself in. They were amber, like one of the necklaces her mother had given her as a child. A beautiful honey color that seemed warm and inviting rather than feral. And then she'd looked in, and found Joxer. Not the stumbling buffoon she thought was him. Not the prideful annoyance she was used to. But Joxer, plain and simple Joxer, a loving, big-hearted young man who'd been through a great deal of pain, and whose only joy came from loving a certain blonde bard.  
  
Her world had changed in that instant. Just in one tiny moment, her entire existence was altered as she realized one unswerving fact. Every part of the man loved her. The wolf, the man, the heart, the soul. He loved her, and had for the longest time. He totally and completely, without a doubt, unconditionally loved her. And, she realized as she again changed her life and the way she saw it, she loved him too.  
  
The sentence, and many like it, had swept through her mind. I love Joxer. I love the buffoon. I love the prideful annoyance. I love him, plain and simple. I love his smile, and his humor. I love his voice, and the way he always put me first. I love the look of concentration he gets on his face whenever he tries to do something special for me, and the utter despair he shows when it turns out wrong. I love him. I love Joxer.  
  
A second later, Gabrielle's face lifted from her puppy-like friend to look at Xena, and the raven-haired warrior felt her heart melt at the pure delight in the expression. She'd figured it out. The bard had finally figured out two things that had been obvious to Xena since day one. That Joxer loved her more than his own life, and that she, Gabrielle, loved him back, despite his clumsiness and stupidity.  
  
The blonde was about to say something to Xena, when a small gust of wind destroyed the mood and signaled the arrival of a god. A very distressed, confused, angry god.  
  
"What in the name of Tarturus is going on here!?" Ares asked, his voice filled with fury as he took in the would-be warrior and those playing with him, "He's an animal! A wolf! He's not some damned puppy!"  
  
"No, Ares..." Xena told the War god with a delighted smirk, "He's Joxer. And while you might have turned off his humanity, you couldn't turn off his love for Gabrielle, for his brothers, or for me. Because that's part of both the human and the wolf. It's part of his soul, and that' s the one thing you can't take from him..."  
  
"Oh yes I can!" The god replied with a sneer, "He's mortal. I can kill him just as easily as I-"  
  
"No..." a new voice said from behind the two, "You can't."  
  
Xena and Ares turned around while Jace, Jett, and Gabrielle looked up to see the goddess of Love standing right behind her brother. She was wearing the same pink lingerie that she always did, but instead of her usual bubbly joy, she looked rather upset and more than a little ticked off. Jace went down on one knee immediately.  
  
"My Goddess!" he said with a sweeping bow, "You 'onor my brotherz and I wif your presenze..."  
  
Her face went soft as she looked down at the flamboyant dancer, "Thank you, Jace. I always like you and Joxer. Don't know much about leather boy over there, though...all that killing and all..."  
  
"Don't be 'ard on em, dearest Aphrodite, 'e iz a good man, and a fine brother. It waz our father dat iz to blame for 'is ways..."  
  
"Oh, don't worry. Jace-sweety." The goddess assured him, "I wouldn't do anything to you or either of your brothers..."  
  
"Tank you, Aphrodite..." Jace said, once more getting back on his feet, "Now what were you sayink about what Ares can do?"  
  
"Oh yeah..." the goddess of Love said with a nod as her face once more turned hard, "Ares, you can't do a thing to any of them..."  
  
"Butt out, sis..." the War god replied, charging up a particularly nasty fireball, "It's none of your business..."  
  
"It is if you get fried, bro." Aphrodite answered with a small smirk, "And besides, I happen to like Joxy, and the whole Gabrielle/Joxer thing happens to be one of my hardest works."  
  
Gabrielle shook her head, taking in all that the Love goddess had said, and then asked, "Why would Ares get fried?"  
  
"Because, sweet-cheeks," she said with a smile, "if you don't remember what started this whole mess, he's the grandson of King Lycaon, and therefore is under the protection of Zeus. Remember? That's why he's not a real wolf...duh!"  
  
"Zeus?" Ares asked, now a little more nervous, "You mean-"  
  
"Yup!" the goddess of Love replied with a giggle, "Doesn't just keep him un-wolfed, but also un-killable by gods, unless you feel like tangling with Dad."  
  
The goddess turned to the three brothers, "That goes for all three of you, and your kids. It's a sweet deal."  
  
The triplets smiled, except for Joxer, who was getting a little disappointed that no one was playing with him. He was especially missing Gabrielle's hands running up and down him. A small, dissatisfied growl escaped him, which made Aphrodite grin.  
  
"Aww... the little puppy-wuppykins wants to play..." the goddess said in a sing song voice as she gave him a quick petting. Then another growl was heard, this time smaller and from a certain blonde bard.  
  
"Don't worry, chick..." the Love deity said swiftly, "I'm happy you finally figured it out, and as much as this little cutie catches my fancy, I know he's yours..."  
  
Gabrielle smiled back at Aphrodite, then told her, "Thank you..."  
  
"No sweat!" she answered with a playful grin, "This is one of the perks of my job!"  
  
But the sweet moment was wrecked by a rather disgruntled 'ahem' from the War god. Everyone, who had been watching the scene between the goddess and the others, turned back around to face Ares.  
  
"Back to the important things..." he said gruffly, "I want Joxer as my creature. He was dedicated to me at birth, and therefore, he is mine. End of story. Thank you. Fin."  
  
"Sorry again, Bro..." 'Dite replied, the twinkle in her eye bright, "He's Zeus' since birth, which was before the dedication, which nullifies your claim. Hate to say it, but you don't have a case..."  
  
At this, Ares got rather frustrated, but before he could really show the crowd just how annoyed he was, he took a deep breath and calmed himself. Fine, he thought, guess I'll just have to convince the little mongrel...  
  
"Fine." The War god said out loud, his face calm but his body language rather antsy, "He's not mine. But I will win him to my side. He will be my warrior. And he will serve me."  
  
"Fat chance."  
  
Ares turned on the speaker, once his favorite fighter, just before disappearing, his voice echoing as he left, "Shut Up, Xena!"  
  
The warrior princess smiled, then turned back to Aphrodite and the others. Then she realized something. As did Gabrielle, because a second later, the bard's head shot up to look to the goddess with a pleading expression.  
  
"Um, Aphrodite?" she asked, trying to sound polite, "Well, as much as I love to play with puppies, is there any way you could turn on Joxer's humanity again...you know, cause I would like to do more than rub his tummy?"  
  
The goddess smiled, and then let out a little squeal of delight. "Sure, toots! No problem! And I'm glad to see you excited about Joxy. I know he deserves it!"  
  
"Thanks, Aphrodite..." the blonde replied, "Now, could you-"  
  
The goddess of Love snapped her fingers, and then Joxer was getting up off the ground, trying to dust off everything that was on him. After he got the majority of it off, he looked at Gabrielle, and his mind, heart, soul, and wolf all made a decision together that the little voices of insecurity didn't have a chance against.  
  
It was a kiss that the bard and the half-wolf would remember till the day they died. He pulled her to him with strong, yet gentle arms, then descended on her lips like a warm, luscious falcon strike. To Gabrielle, he tasted like vanilla, like long moonlight nights, like pure love in a form she couldn't understand. His lips were so soft and tender as they met hers, and as his tongue darted into her mouth, she leaned into him in a silent cry for more. And for Joxer, it was a moment of true and complete happiness that he'd thought he'd never get to experience.  
  
They probably would have continued like that for a while, had Joxer not heard the chorus of wolf-whistles, especially the loud one from Aphrodite, accompanied by several grunts of pleasure at his (and her) success. Out of embarrassment, he began to pull away. She, with a deep red blush that made her smell absolutely Elysian, did the same. The two turned to their friends.  
  
Xena was smiling that strange, satisfied smile that she put on every once in a while when things finally go the way they're supposed to. Jace was grinning like a madman, his face alight with joy for his brother. Jett was giving him a thumbs up, and had a special smile on his face. It was a rare one since it had absolutely no menace in it whatsoever. Then there was Aphrodite, still celebrating loudly and dancing a little victory dance. The would-be warrior and the blonde were completely red.  
  
"About time." Was all Xena said.  
  
And this seemed to break the silence enough for Gabrielle to ask, "So, Aphrodite...you seem to know all about this thing with the wolf and all..."  
  
"Well..." the goddess said with an innocent gesture, "It WAS kinda important, since it involved my Joxy and his brothers. And I couldn't let anything happen..."  
  
"Actually, what I meant to ask was if you knew anything else about what Joxer's become?"  
  
"Oh!" Aphrodite said with a jump. Obviously she'd interpreted the question incorrectly for some reason that she didn't wish to explain, and Gabrielle was so happy, she was willing to let it slide. She was glad enough that she didn't care how much the Love goddess had meddled to get it to work, or even if she had.  
  
"Well, I'm supposed to tell you that, aren't I?" she said with a roll of her eyes, "It's kinda simple really..."  
  
"Then explain." Joxer said, speaking at last. His voice was a little hoarse from all the barking, but it was still his voice.   
  
"Okay, Joxy..." the bubbly goddess began, "Anyway, here's what you need to know:  
  
"You're gonna live the rest of your life with this, so you'd better listen. During the majority of the month, you'll be just like you are now. Hightened senses, quick healing, all that good stuff. But pretty much normal, except for when you get mad or something, and then you might get a little...feral. But I know you, Joxer, and you have a pretty even temper, so that's not much of a problem...  
  
"However, on the night of the full moon, you'll be turned into a regular, albeit large, wolf. As in, four paws and fur. You'll still be mostly you, but in a wolf's body. Now, on the night of, the day before, and the day after the full moon, don't bite anybody, or else they'll turn into something just like you."  
  
"But why is it all triggered by the moon?" Joxer asked, genuinely curious. If this was going to govern his life, he wanted to know why.  
  
"Because..." Aphrodite explained, "The spell that was put on Lycaon, and now partially on you, was done by Artemis. And on the full moon, her power is the strongest, and it overrides the protection placed by Zeus, making you a full wolf for that night."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Anyway," the goddess continued, "Any kid you have will be just like you, so watch out! I don't mean you shouldn't have kids...I'm just givin' you the heads up. Oh...and stay away from silver..."  
  
"Why?"   
  
"Well, it being connected with the moon, it'll affect you pretty badly. It'll overcharge on the magic that's within you, and because of that, burn you. Not to mention that when you're injured by silver, you'll heal a lot slower."  
  
"Oh..." Joxer said, "Guess that means I'll have to spring for gold rings..."  
  
The bard squawked "What-"  
  
"ANYWAY, stay away from that stuff, watch the moon, and be happy! That's about it..." Aphrodite finished, "And have a nice time on your wedding night! I'll be watching!"   
  
And with that, the goddess of Love disappeared, leaving four very happy, if slightly confused people, and one extremely overjoyed half-wolf.  
  
"So Joxer," Xena asked as last, breaking the ice again, "What are you gonna do now that you're partially a wolf and engaged to Gabrielle?"  
  
"Engaged?" Joxer squeeked, partially from nerves and partially from joy. Gabrielle just glared at her friend.  
  
"Well, pretty much. I figured that you would ask her as soon as you got the rings anyway..."  
  
"Well..." Joxer answered slowly, "Firstly, I'm gonna go get those rings. Then I'm gonna get the yelling at of my life from my hopefully future wife concerning 'rushing things'...then I'm going to ask a certain warrior princess if she would take a certain humble half-wolf student who's willing to learn and keep his mouth shut. At least, I think that's what's going to happen..."  
  
This made Xena smiled, and Joxer smiled back. It was nice to know that, even if he was different, Xena would always see him as her friend. Someone he trusted. He was fully aware of everything that had happened while he was in wolf-mind. And it made his heart warm at the very thought. Then he turned to Gabrielle and took in her expression, not to mention the waves of unpleasantness that radiated off of her in great big sniffs.  
  
"Or maybe I'm going to get yelled at first..."  
  
"I think so, brother..." Jett put in helpfully, "But I've got to be going now...Jace, will you see me back to the prison please?"  
  
The dancer took one look at Gabrielle, then nodded to Jett. "Pleazed to. I will be seeink you, Joxzer! Invite me an Jett to de weddink, okay?"  
  
"Yeah..." Joxer said quickly with a nod.  
  
And then the two brothers, having the sense to get away from trouble unlike their other brother, ran off. Then the bard walked over to Joxer.  
  
"Now, dearest..." she said in a sickly sweet voice that the half-wolf just knew was trouble, "What did you say about an engagement?"  
  
"Oh dear..."  
  
The End  
  
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